More Badass than Blasto
by A-J-aria
Summary: Mass Effect AU where Admiral Rutherford of the Systems Alliance enlists the help of one Commander Trevelyan in the hopes of putting an end to Samson's smuggling operations on Omega.


**I've had this on my AO3 account for a while and finally thought I'd get around to posting it on FF since I plan to update it soon (finally). Inspired by all the wonderful ME AU art I've seen on tumblr. Also, I'm fucking trash and this is going to be confusing as hell. Cullen is an Admiral and Trevelyan is a Commander in this so it's going to be a weird read.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, Mass Effect, or any of its characters.**

Sera's nose scrunched up as the crew stepped off of the docking bay and into the heart of Omega. "Smells like arse here," the engineer grumbled.

"Eloquently put, Sera," Dorian pitched in, rolling his eyes at her manner of speech. "So, Commander," the biotic turned towards their leader who was taking up the rear of the group, completely missing the raspberries that Sera was blowing his way, "when is this Admiral we've heard oh-so-much about showing up?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively which awarded him a hard shove from Trevelyan.

"Pfft," Sera snorted. "General Uptight? Here, on __Omega__? That'll be the day."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't here you call me that," a voice cut in, belonging to none other than the admiral in question. "I truly don't want to fill out the paperwork for insubordination. __Again.__ " He fixed Sera with a pointed look, and the elf had the decency to at least feign guilt and straightened her shoulders at the authoritative tone.

"Aye, Sir Tightpants," she said in a mock salute. Well, so much for respect. But the Admiral was long used to the engineer's antics after having served with her prior to gaining his status as Admiral.

Commander Trevelyan was quick to step forward, shooting the engineer a hard look as she went to greet the admiral properly. "Commander Cullen," Trevelyan greeted with a small smile. "Or is it Admiral Rutherford these days?"

The admiral sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck – a nervous habit of his that Trevelyan was all too familiar with from their days as N7 recruits. She was glad that something hadn't changed, even after all these years. "Ornate titles, the lot of them. Just Cullen is fine." He held her hand in a firm grip as they shook, and Aislin remarked on strong the man was, even though he was no longer fighting on the front lines.

"It's odd seeing you out of uniform." Cullen was in his civies, instead of the standard Alliance uniform she typically saw him in. "How has the Citadel been treating you?" The former Commander made a face at that and she smiled. She could tell that he missed being out on the field. Cullen was never meant to be a dignitary, but he did good work for the Alliance in Citadel space that he couldn't do out on the front lines. He had more power and influence and used his knowledge as a former N7 soldier to improve Alliance ranks. The higher-ups were lucky to have a person like Cullen – trustworthy, loyal, experienced and yet with a connection to the Alliance soldiers that many of the other adivsors lacked. As much as he complained, he was exactly what the Alliance needed.

"Well," she declared, giving him a playful shove in the shoulder, "hopefully this weekend will prove to be a good break from it all, Admiral."

Cullen sighed, the scarred half of his lip coming up in a smirk. "If only that were true."

"For you lot, maybe," Sera cut in, cheeky grin plastered on her face as she surged forward between the pair.

"Sera's right – odd as that sounds," Dorian pitched in. "Your mission is __our__ vacation. So if you'll excuse me, there's a turian bartender in Afterlife calling my name." And with that, the pair went off to join the rest of the crew at Omega's club scene.

"Have __fun__ , Lady Herald," and Maker, did that sound suggestive coming out of the elf's mouth.

She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks and coughed nervously as an awkward tension fell between the pair in the docking bay. "Yes, well, now that their shore leave has started. Our work is about to begin." Officially, she and her crew were on shore leave here on Omega. The rest of __SSV Inquisition__ 's crew was taking a much needed holiday (although she wasn't sure if __Omega__ was the right place for that) and had mostly gone to Afterlife whilst the ship was undergoing maintenance. The crew and herself had been stretched thin lately after chasing down Corypheus and his men had been turning up nothing but dead ends as of late. And after losing Haven… Well, she supposed the crew needed to let loose for a weekend. Aislin Trevelyan, however, was here for other business. Namely, that of one __former__ Commander Cullen.

Cullen leaned in close, breaking into her thoughts. "I can't thank you enough for coming to help," he whispered, eyes shifting to the side to make sure they weren't heard.

"For you? Anything," she whispered back, just a tad breathless as she could feel the stubble along his jaw tickle against her skin, the sensation heightened all the more by their proximity. Cullen smiled as he pulled back, a familiar heat in his eyes that had not been directed towards her in years, and Aislin tried not to lament over the loss choosing instead to survey the area. Someone on Omega was always watching, especially when a ship flying Alliance colors docked in the Terminus Systems. If it was not one of Aria's men, then surely one of the several mercenary groups that operated out of the asteroid. After all, if the Alliance was getting involved in the Terminus Systems then their leaders would surely wish to know of it. However, Aislin was not here on behalf of the Alliance. She was here on behalf of a friend. Or whatever it was Cullen Rutherford was to her these days.

The Admiral cleared his throat nervously. "Well, then shall we be off?"

"Lead the way, Admiral," she purred and watched with satisfaction as the tips of his ears turned red at the lilt in her voice.

-.-.-

They were seated at a table in the VIP section of Afterlife after the Commander had pulled a few strings with Aria T'Loak. She much preferred this area. It was more private and they were less likely to be overheard. Also, she didn't have to worry about someone spiking her drink up here in the VIP section. She shivered at that, yes, she could go the rest of her life without a repeat of that. Trevelyan was nursing a cocktail in her hands whilst Cullen shifted his eyes about the area, clearly unused to the… unique environment that was Afterlife. She herself had become accustomed to it by now since her team been operating more and more in the Terminus Systems as of late. Likely in order to avoid the council getting involved, Corypheus has been focusing his attacks on human colonies outside of Alliance space. And that was just not something she would stand for.

Aria had been surprisingly accommodating to the __Inquisition__ , although she was certain it had more to do with how Corypheus' abducting of trade ships and colonies had been affecting her status on Omega than any pressing need to do the right thing. But Trevelyan would take what she could get.

"So tell me about this Samson," Trevelyan spoke as she pulled up the man's file on her omni-tool. "All my files say is that he was a Second Class Serviceman released with a Discharge – CAT6 for drug use. It's all very vague."

"You met him once," Cullen replied to which she raised an inquisitive brow.

"Oh?"

"On the Citadel. He became a C-Sec officer after being discharged from the military and was working in the Lower Wards," he clarified to which she simply nodded in response. She remembers now. That was back when he was still serving as their commander and they first recruited Sera onto the team. The former duct rat tipped them off to a high-ranking C-Sec officer who was helping smuggle Red Sand through the Lower Wards. Her tip had proved to be just what they needed to get the man expelled from his job, but not enough to lock him up, much to Cullen's anger. Sera, though, had been an honorary crew member of __Inquisition__ ever since. Even if she was a bit eccentric, the elf made for good company and certainly made things around the ship more interesting.

"I'm going to jump the gun here and guess that he's been working with CAT6 mercs since he's been discharged," she assumed, looking up from her omni-tool at last to meet Cullen's eyes, which glowed under the flashing lights of Afterlife.

He nodded solemnly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And he's been a right pain in my arse ever since." __No kidding,__ she thought as she recalled news of the shooting in the Silversun Strip a few months back. She knew that the Admiral's beef with Samson went further back than the incident with C-Sec though, probably back when the man was still an Alliance soldier. He had never told her the story, even when they were together, but she could tell this was important to him and Aislin would be damned if she didn't help the man out when he needed her.

Cullen leaned forward across the table, forearms resting against the metal surface as cupped his drink between two large hands. "But I've managed to track him down to Omega. We need more intel before we can go after him. But with you here, we can finally put this guy behind bars and put an end to his smuggling ring once and for all," he said, a certainty in his voice and a determination in his eyes that made her throat feel tight and caused Aislin Trevelyan to question whether or not the thumping that rang in her earsdrums was the heavy bass of __Afterlife's__ music or the pounding of her own heart.

"Okay," she nodded, her voice coming out more strained than she had been intending it to be. She set her drink down onto the table and was about to stand up only to have Cullen's hand reach out and grasp her wrist.

"Wait… I – There's more." The Commander sat back and Cullen released his grip on her. He shifted his eyes to the side before leaning in close. "We think he's started working with Corypheus."

She tensed at that, shoulders going ramrod straight as she processed this new bit of information. "You're sure?" She hedged, but knew the answer before he even needed to confirm it, as much as she wished she didn't.

"I was tipped off by the Shadow Broker herself." At that, Trevelyan suddenly realized that this situation was much more serious than she had first realized if Leliana had gone out of her way to contact Cullen personally. "Her agents spotted one of his freighters go through the Omega 4 relay carrying a large shipment of Red Sand."

"What would Corypheus need with Red Sand?"

Cullen shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know, but I would rather not find out." And to that, Aislin couldn't agree more. The Admiral's hand shook where it gripped his glass and she knew that he was barely containing his anger and frustration at this whole mess.

"We'll find him, Cullen, and put a stop to this mess," she declared determinedly, locking eyes with his own and placing a hand atop one of his own shaking ones. And besides, Samson might just be the lead that she needed to find out Corypheus' next move.

Cullen nodded as he untangled his fingers from her own and she felt a shiver go through her as the tips of his fingers ran across the back of her hand. She had to wonder how this man, despite all this time, still had such an effect on her. "Alright," he declared, sending her a look that she was not sure what to make of, "let's get to it." He spoke such simple words but she could feel the weight they carried in his voice, knew he would follow her to the very edge of the galaxy if she said so. Although he very well knew she'd do the same for him without a second thought.

 _ _I guess some things really haven't changed,__ she realized.

-.-.-

 **I still have other stuff to write (Like the Siege - don't worry I haven't given up on it!), but this has been sitting in my writing folder for far too long. Also, I didn't really change anyone's species and decided to keep the elves as "elves" which will be explained in future chapters.**


End file.
